Nautical Maladie
by Kittylin15
Summary: It's hard to keep your magic a secrete when you perform a spell everytime you sneeze.


This is my first Merlin fan fiction ever. I usually just write Sesshoumaru/Kagome fanfics but I just love this show. I've had an idea for a Merlin fan fiction for some time now but decided to write a one shot before jumping into a long chapter story like I did last time. I actually just wrote this story in my head on the way to school. You know those long commutes on the subway where you have nothing better to do than stare off into space.

I'm really busy with animation college right now so don't be expecting anything else until April when I get out of school. And I also have to finish my other fanfics first or my followers will kill me. If any of you are reading this I'm not dead just been really busy.

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**_Nautical Maladie_**

_888_

"There it is." Arthur stated in a whispered tone as he pushed some of the foliage out of the way so that he could see the druid camp from his crouched position. The prince took stalk of the camps occupants, which consisted of two women and four males. He had received an anonymous tip about it's existence and decided he best take some of his knights with him to check if it was true or not.

A trig snapped just behind Arthur… And Merlin of course, though he didn't know why he always brought him on missions like this with him, none of the other knights ever brought their man servants; maybe it was for the entertainment value it brought him.

Arthur rolled his eyes as he glared back at Merlin who had frozen in place with his hands and one leg up in the air. The warlock mouthed sorry back at the prince. Leave it to Merlin to find the only stick not still attached to a tree in the small clearing they were inhabiting when they are trying to hide, Arthur thought to himself as he turned back around shaking his head.

He was surprised that none of the druids had heard Merlin give their presence away. The females were still cooking while the males waited patiently for the food. All seemed right and peaceful. They weren't doing any harm but according to his fathers laws he had to get rid of them. Arthur put up his hand to signal the knights to prepare to attack.

Merlin was kind of disappointed that the druids hadn't heard him. He didn't want to see any of them hurt.

When the knights all nodded back that they were ready the prince dropped his hand.

The unmistakable sound of multiple swords being drawn zeroed in the druids attention on their location before the knights even appeared out of the foliage. The biggest male who appeared to be the leader of the small druid group told the others to run.

Staying behind himself for some reason.

Arthur signaled without saying a word using those weird hand movements, that Merlin couldn't understand for the life of him; for his knights to go after the other druids while he dealt with the leader.

Merlin noticed that the leader had been heading towards one of the tents before Arthur had managed to stop him. Curious, he decided to go check it out himself while the prince's attention was elsewhere.

The young warlock was surprised to see a young scared boy when he stepped past the tent flap. He looked like he was under the weather. His surprise wore off quickly as his mind realized that this boy needed his help.

When he walked closer the boy moved away.

Merlin held out his hand. "Don't worry I'm not going to hurt you." He gave a reassuring smile hoping to gain his trust.

That was when it happened…

The little boy sneezed covering his hand in mucus.

Merlin snatched his hand back in disgust, wrinkling his nose at it for a second before trying to wipe his hand off on his shirt. He jumped back in surprise when something floated at his head causing the young warlock to fly back to avoid it out the entrance of the tent and straight into Arthur's back, knocking them both to the ground.

Free of the Prince's grip the druid leader signaled for the little boy to come to him before they both fled the clearing.

"Merlin!" Arthur yelled when he got his bearings back, looking at the empty space his prisoner occupied only seconds ago.

The young warlock covered his ears still in the position of having the prince's body sprawled half over top of his. "There's no need to yell sir, I'm right here."

Giaus awoke with a start when the door to his quarters was slammed open. He shot up from his stool at his desk, grabbing a near by frying pan for protection only to see his ward standing in the door way.

Merlin was grumbling to himself as he made his way into the room with frustration apparent in his tone. Throwing his jacket on the floor.

" I always manage to mess everything up he says. Why the hell does he bring me along if I'm such a big screw up. Would make my life easier if he just left me behind. And I would too, if I knew he wouldn't get himself killed in my absence." Merlin voiced to himself.

It was apparent to Giaus that Arthur was at the root of the problem even though the prince hadn't been named, he thought to himself as he lowered his improvised weapon.

"What did Arthur do now?" Giaus asked. Resisting the erg to roll his eyes.

Merlin's head snapped in the physicians direction. "He's just blaming me for the failure of the mission. He always blames me…" The young warlock continued to complain happy to have finally found an audience for his discretions.

Giaus's mind started to wonder because he had heard this speech many times before. He must've fallen asleep while waiting for Merlin to return he thought to himself as he wiped the drool away from the corner of his mouth. He peeked at the book he had fallen asleep on to see a pool of it.

"…Can you believe that?" Giaus just managed to hear Merlin's last remark.

"I'm sure he just over reacted." Giaus said just to placate his ward but when he looked up he finally took in his appearance. " Merlin, what do have on you."

The young warlock looked down at the front of his shirt to see a sticky wet spot. "I almost forgot about that. I was sneezed on by a kid at the camp. I thought I'd gotten it all off but apparently not.

" That shirt will have to be washed. I hope you don't become sick." The physician looked to the window to see that the moon was high in the sky. "Merlin it's the middle of the night. Go to bed. You have to get up early in the morning for your duties."

Merlin continued to grumble, now incoherently so that Giaus couldn't even understand what he was saying on the way to his room.

Merlin woke when the sun hit his eyes. His head was foggy and his throat sore.

The young warlock dressed and right before he left, sneezed. With his foggy mind he didn't notice some of the clothes behind him float. He just waited for the tingly feeling to leave him, shrugging it off before walking out the door. Passing a still sleeping Giaus on his way out.

His body was basically only acting on the instincts that his daily schedule for the prince had instilled in him. He might as well have been sleep walking for how perceptive he was of his surroundings.

Walking through a corridor Merlin sneezed again; unknowingly causing a suit of armor down the hall to float, sending a chamber maid screaming away in fright.

Merlin managed to get the princes meal without incident as it was sitting in its usual spot waiting for him to pick it up. Mindlessly performing his duties.

By the time Merlin had reached the Prince's chambers he had caused three similar incidents.

Arthur was waiting for him on the other side of the door. Already fully dressed but still not expecting his servant for some time. "Finally Merlin, I've been waiting forever." The prince said as the warlock put his breakfast on the table.

He realized that he may have overreacted a little and was just testing the waters. Arthur was worried that Merlin may still be mad at him for yesterday. He'd received Merlin's silent treatment before for his loss of temper and he didn't like it; it was unnatural for the boy to be quite for too long.

Expecting to hear a cheeky remark from his friend like 'the sun has hardly risen' or 'I'm actually on time today'; which were both true, but received nothing.

The Arthur couldn't see Merlin's face because he had his back to him so he couldn't interpret his expression. " Ok, just tell me what I did so that I can state my reason and move on with the day."

Arthur received only a grunt in recognition of his servant hearing his question. This was different than Merlin's silent treatment the prince thought to himself with a raised eyebrow. Usually he still made eye contact.

Merlin's shoulders tensed and Arthur thought he was finally going to get a reaction out of his friend but he just let off a loud sneeze.

The prince caught movement out of the corner of his eye. When he turned only to see his dirty jacket floating, that Merlin had yet to wash, the prince grabbed his sword off the table and held it up to the offending object.

Arthur starred at it with wide eyes before it dropped back to the ground.

He was speechless for a second. Magic had just been performed in his chambers.

"Merlin did you see that?" Arthur asked but when he received no answer he turned to look at his friend. Finally able to see his face the prince could see how awful he looked. His nose was all red and his eyes were glazed over.

"Merlin?" Arthur said his name with worry in it. The state of his friend almost made the prince forget about the situation.

Merlin's nose wrinkled and he sneezed again. This time Arthur could clearly see his eye's flash gold before many of the objects around the room began to float. There was no denying that his friend was the cause.

Before the prince even had a chance to accuse or interrogate his friend; Merlin was hit over the head with his empty chamber pot causing him to crumple to the ground out cold.

All the prince's things instantaneously crashed back to the ground. It was like the power source had been switched off, which it basically had.

Arthur looked at his sword which had been stuck in the wooden table with a contemplative look before starring back at his friend.

Merlin regained consciousness sometime later. He rolled over in the bed he was in with a groan at the headache he was sporting, trying to remember what had happened. The sheets were too silky to be his scratchy ones. Where was he?

"So you're finally awake." Came the unmistakable drawl of the prince.

Merlin blearily opened his eyes. "Arthur, why am I in your bed?" He asked with confusion as his surroundings came into focus.

His mind finally pieced together flashes of memories. Remembering trying to perform his normal duties this morning and the event that unfolded before he was knocked out. He put his hand to the back of his head to feel the bump.

The young warlock cringed at the realization that Arthur had found out about his magic, in a very un-heroic and accidental way. Not the way he planned to out himself but it was too late to turn back now.

He was still in the princes chambers and not in the dungeon waiting execution which was good.

"So?" Was all Merlin could think to say as he gulped in nervousness. Hoping to get the prince talking and get this confrontation over with.

"So! You're a sorcerer." Arthur stated in a very blunt way.

Merlin bit his lip. "You aren't mad?" He asked in complete confusion at the princes amused expression, who just shrugged after the question.

"I was at first, you know mad, but then I had a talk with Giaus about it when I called on him to look at you. Even if I had just found out you where a sorcerer I had to make sure you were alright. He told about what you had been doing with your magic."

"Your not afraid I'm going to try and takeover the kingdom?" Merlin berated himself after that sentence left his lips. He wasn't suppose to make himself into a suspect.

Arthur then let out a short laugh. "Merlin you knocked yourself out with an empty chamber pot. I don't think I can ever think of you as a threat after that, no matter how much power you may have." The warlock had a feeling that the prince was laughing at him in his head.

"That still doesn't explain why I'm in your bed and not my own?" Merlin asked.

"Apparently what you have is highly contagious to magical folk but completely harmless to people like me. So since I'm the only non magical person to know about you I get the privilege of taking care of you until you recover."

"Well that's not completely true. Lancelot figured out I had magic right before he left the first time." Arthur gave him a look like he was furious, hurt, and disappointed that he wasn't the first on to know, all at the same time.

"Well despite that you're stuck with me since Lancelot," Arthur said his name in a mocking way, "is missing in action."

Merlin raised his eyebrows at the princes tone when it came to the other man. "So what do I have?"

"Before Giaus would have a look at you he wanted me to described your symptoms so he would know what to bring. So I did and he immediately diagnosed it as a type of magical cold."

"Didn't know their was such a thing as that." Merlin interrupted with a sniffle.

Arthur rolled his eyes as if saying he wasn't surprised that Merlin didn't know this. "Yes well, Giaus told me that he couldn't come in contact with you because even though his magic was weak and unused for years he would be affected. He speculated that that druid boy you mention to him yesterday had been in quarantine when you came in contact with him."

"I'm not going to die am I?" Merlin asked as he was reminded of his current condition as his head throbbed.

"No, stupid! It's just like a normal cold but when you sneeze it causes things to float. It's completely harmless symptom except it could reveal someone as magical like it did for you. "

Merlin was glad that it seemed that Arthur seemed like he wasn't going to treat him differently now that he knew about his magic. He wasn't afraid he was going to be turned into a frog if he insulted him. " It could cause an epidemic if there were enough magical people in a small area at once." The young warlock said more to himself than the prince as he pictured the image of a druid camp in his head where everyone was sneezing and things were floating from all directins.

"Even though the only two magic people stupid enough to stick around Camelot are you and Giaus. Though apparently my father knows about him. We thought it best that we quarantine you anyways so that you don't reveal yourself and get killed for it." The prince grumbled.

"Oh Arthur I didn't know you cared so much as to give up your bed for the cause." Merlin said jokingly. Before he knew it a pillow smacked him in the face. Now that the young warlock was certain that Arthur had accepted him for who he was, magic and all, he finally calmed down enough to take in the state of the princes room. There was nothing left but the table, wardrobe, and bed it seemed.

"Where is everything?" Merlin asked.

"I removed anything that could be affected by your cold. I didn't want to have to dodge floating object every time you decided to sneeze." Arthur admitted. " Had it all moved to the spare room next door.

"Which was everything." Merlin stated in amusement.

"Giaus said anything under three hundred pounds was susceptible." The prince shrugged as he looked at his pretty much bare chambers. " You should get some rest so that you can get over this as soon as possible. I want my servant back."

"Yes physician Arthur, whatever you say." Merlin said before closing his eyes.

Arthur stood from his chair and watched his friend with his arms crossed. He noticed the young warlocks nose scrunch up before he sneezed.

" Bless you." Arthur said in automatic response as Merlin rolled to fall into a deep sleep.

The prince prepared himself for maybe some of the pillows to start floating but received an even bigger shock when his feet left the ground.

Well this is just great Arthur thought to himself. He didn't hit the ceiling like he had seen some of the other objects do because he was a lot heavier than they were but he did go high enough that it would hurt when he fell back to the hard stone floor.

Arthur glared at Merlin as he tried to maneuver himself over the bed he was situated in so that he would at least have a soft landing.

Though it had become a lot more complicated since the young man had burst into his life. And it would become more so now that Arthur knew about his magic but he new that Merlin was worth the trouble.

It was his last thought before he dropped.

888

Nautical means float just incase anybody didn't know but obviouslyall you guys are geniuses. I'll probably go over this story again over summer break and fix it because I think it can be better.


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